1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the distribution of skewers having, in the free state, an approximately rectilinear shape, a mid-axis, an approximately specific length along this mid-axis and an approximately constant cross-section of approximately specific diameter perpendicularly to this mid-axis, especially wooden skewers intended for making brochettes, among respective bores of a reception apparatus, such as a loading apparatus of a skewering machine, the said bores being parallel to one another and mutually juxtaposed in a row in which they are spaced from one another at a specific interval, the said distribution apparatus comprising for this purpose:
a plurality of cradles oriented in a specific longitudinal direction, mutually juxtaposed transversely and spaced transversely from one another at the said interval, each cradle having a cross-section corresponding approximately to the said cross-section of a skewer and being open, on the one hand, in one specific transverse way and, on the other hand, both ways of the said longitudinal direction,
means for, on the one hand, presenting each cradle at a location for the take-up of a respective skewer and, on the other hand, placing the cradles and the reception apparatus in such a relative position that each cradle is located opposite a respective bore in the said longitudinal direction, at a location for the transfer of the skewers from the cradles towards the reception apparatus,
means for receiving skewers in the mutually juxtaposed state and presenting them successively at the said take-up location, in such a way that their mid-axes are oriented approximately in the said longitudinal direction and that they are respectively approximately symmetrical in relation to a specific transverse plane, and for respectively introducing into each cradle oppositely to the said transverse way a skewer, the mid-axis of which is oriented approximately in the said longitudinal direction, at the said take-up location,
means for imparting to the skewers introduced into the cradles a translational movement one specific way of the said longitudinal direction going from the cradles towards the reception apparatus, at the said transfer location, in order to disengage the skewers from the cradles and engage them into the bores.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known embodiment described in French Patent Application No. 2,345,948, such an apparatus is integrated in an apparatus for preparing coherent products with deformable food substances, and ensures the skewering of these products, known in the Netherlands as "satay", onto relatively short wooden skewers, that is to say of a length not exceeding approximately fifteen centimeters.
In this known embodiment, skewers are placed in a hopper so as to have approximately the same horizontal longitudinal direction, and arranged under this hopper is a plurality of cradles oriented in this same longitudinal direction and mutually juxtaposed transversely relative to this horizontally; each cradle has a longitudinal dimension at least equal to the said length and a cross-section corresponding substantially to the cross-section of a skewer over this entire longitudinal dimension, in such a way that a skewer can penetrate into it only if its shape is substantially rectilinear and that a skewer which is thus penetrated into a cradle is maintained in this substantially rectilinear shape, even if it has a natural tendency to bend; insofar as this tendency is common in wooden skewers, above each cradle are arranged means compelling these skewers to straighten themselves again before arriving at the respective cradle; furthermore, associated with each cradle is a longitudinal rod capable of sliding longitudinally in the respective cradle in order to impart to the skewers located in it a translational movement towards the reception apparatus consisting, in practice, of an apparatus for molding coherent products from deformable food substances.
This known embodiment is satisfactory insofar as the skewers have a small length which generally limits the amount of sag which they can assume as a result of bending and makes complex bending insignificant, with the result that the means provided above the cradles for straightening the skewers again can usually achieve this, so as to allow a uniform feed of skewers to the cradles. However, as soon as a skewer in the still bent state comes in front of a cradle, it can penetrate into it only partially, and therefore either the apparatus is jammed, thus making it necessary to stop it and partially disassemble it to extract the offending skewer from it, or the apparatus continues to operate, but a cradle remains empty, thus resulting, on the one hand, in rejects and, on the other hand, in this same need to stop the apparatus in order to extract the offending skewer from it.
This disadvantage becomes more serious if the length of the skewers increases, especially if it is considered adopting this embodiment for distributing skewers of a length of the order of 25 to 30 cm, as with skewers traditionally used for making brochettes; in fact, the greater the length of a skewer, on the one hand the larger the amount of sag which it can assume and on the other hand the more appreciable is the complex nature of its possible bending.
In particular, it seems impossible to integrate the embodiment of a skewer distribution apparatus described in French Patent Application No. 2,345,948 into an automatic skewering machine using skewers of such a length, without risking an unacceptable proportion of rejects and an inadmissible frequency of stopping of the line in order to extract the skewers which it was not possible to make sufficiently rectilinear to allow them to be introduced into the cradles.